Feeding device for water-purifying apparatus.



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D E S O L C D. W. PATTERSON.

FEEDING DEVICE FOR WATER PURIFYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1907. 940,402.

v D. w. PATTERSON. FEEDINGDEVIGE FOR WATER PURIFYING APPARATUS.

APPLIG-ATIOH FILED $1113.. 26, 1907.

Patented Nov. 16. 1909.

2 BKEETE-BHEET 2.

DUNcAN W. PA'rTERsoN, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FEEDING DEVICE FOR WATER-PURIFYIN G APPARATUS. I

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

Application filed new as, 1907. Serial No. scacao.

To all whom it may concern: I

'Be it known that-I, DUNCAN W. PATTER- soN, a citizen ofthe UnitedStates, residing at Philadelphia, inthe State of Pennsyl- Vania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Devices for ater-Purifying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to such processes as water purification, where it is desirable to supply a definite proportion of a chemical reagent to the water at a definite rate.

The principal objects of the invention are to conveniently accomplish this, and make the feed certain and easily regulable; to provide for introducing the reagent into the system from the ground, or .a point. below the level of distribution of the water, without the use of pumps; to maintain a con-' stant feedof constant strength of the chemical solution, and to make the feeding devices automatic'. These objects, as well as other advantages which will hereinafter appear, I attain by means of the construction illustrated in preferred forms in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a partial vertical sectional view of my air displacement feeder as applied to;

a water softening system. Fig. 2 is a diagram of a modification showing different arrangements of. the feeding tanks. Figs. 3 and 4 are partial sections showing the construction of the top of. the tank and Fig. 5 shows the valve in the feed pipe.

In water softening and-purifying apparatus it is customary to add various chem-.

ical reagents such as the soluble sodium carbonate to the water as it passes through the apparatus, for purposes of precipitating cer tain impurities,softening, etc. Generally a 7 solution of the soda-is mixed and manually introduced in certain parts of the apparatus at intervals; this of course must be placed above the point of distribution of the Water or else pumps must be employed to raise it to the usual elevated tank for reactionand storage. In order to make this operation uniform, certain and automatic I use the principle of air displacement for raising the mixture from the ground by the force of the water flowing into the apparatus. Thus, referringfirst to Fig. 1, it will be understood thatthe main .supplypipe 6 may empty into a weir box 7 which has one weir-emptying through the pipe 8 into any re-actiongar storage tank 9. Another, and-an adyustable the valve casing 30 screen 16, the compartment l6 air pressure.

that as the. water level in the weir, 10, introduces intothe system through the pipe 11 the required portion of feed water, regulated as desired at a certain-ratio with the main flow through the pipe 8. The

reaction and storage tanks may ;be elevated,

pipe 15 the reagent is drawn into the compartment 16 in the top of thetank 12. The water from the pipe 11 is now allowed to run in through the valve 36 and branch pipe 17, filling the compartment 16 and carrying out with it through stream of water having the chemical diluted and mixed with it. This empties through into the tank 12, and as the water level therein rises the air conlined in the tank 12 will be driven out through an open air pipe 21 into the top of the tank 13 (which has previously been, filled in a similar manner). This air is under pressure by reason of the head of water and will force down the level of the water in tank 13 and force the water out through the branch 22 and valve 35 of a feed pipe 23, from whence it flows into a receiving vessel 24 and tank 9 and is mixed with the main supplyof water from pipe 8. The water may be then drawn from this reaction tank to be further treated and used as desired Ordinarily I preferto use a float 25 operating a valve in the main pipe 6 so that the entire supply of water in pipes 8 and 11 will"be'reg'ulated by the amount drawn off for use. While the tank 13 is being emptied,

a new charge of chemical can be introduced into compartment l6 by means of pipe 15, the water filling the compartment being first emptied by pipe 38 when desired. Otherwise, the chemical can be placed in 16 through a door directly. That is, the chemthe pipes 18, 19, 20, a-

ical in a solid state may be placed upon the 7 being completely filled with water and chemical before the door 13 is scaled down, so as to lose no It will be understood from the float' 26f, guided on its rod 27, will finally rest upon the trippin lever- 28 and this by means of a. rod 29 wi l push overthe the drawing tank 13 falls.

valve 30 invthe casing 30 at the lowerend of the supply pipe 19; this closes the inlet I 20 to tank 12 and opens the inlet 20 to tank form of slide valve as shown and there is attached to it an arm 31 which is pivoted in y the casing 3O on a shaft 31 carrying also a lever arm 32 attached to a vertical moving rod The rod 33 in turn, operates the handle 34 of valve 35 controlling the branches 22, 22 of the outlet or feed pipe 23. This opens branch 22 to tank 12 and closes bra nch 22 The rod 33 also operates valve 36 of the'supply pipe, which at the proper time closes the branch 17 feeding tank 12, and opens branch 17 to tank 13, now empty. At the same time the rod 33 by valve 37 closes the branch 18 and opens the branch 18 of the 'main pipe 19, admitting theflow to the bottom of tank 13. It will be understood of course that in the meanwhile the soda solution and new water has completely filled the compartment 16 on top of tank 1 The operation of the above described device will be evident. The water continu ously flows down the pipe 11, alternately through the compartment 16 and pipe 19' into the tank 12 and then through the compartment 16" and down the pipe 19 into the tank 13; The air pressure in the two tanks- 12' and 13 remains the same and the air is alternately displaced from one and forced into the other, so as to emptythese tanks in alternation outward through the .feed pipe 23. This apparatus can thereforework' at any distance from the receiving tank 9, which is usually elevated; itis highly desirable to put the chemical mixer on the round Where it can be easily reached. The teeding of the'chemical alternately into the compartments 16 and 16* may of course be accomplished by hand if desired. In order to reserve the pressure maintained in the twin tanks and the pi e 19, it will be noticed that when the flow into one of the tanks such as 12 has been completed, the shiftin of the valves 36 and 37 shuts off any bac flow into compartmentlfi, and just enough of the water therein can be removed by means of the tap pipe-38, to make room for the reception of a new charge ofthe chemical through the pipe 15 from the mixer 14, or

through a door, and the compartment vol-' ume containing no. air isinvariable and no pressure is lost. Gage glasses may be usedwhen desired to observe the level of water in the tanks.

One of the essential features of the above described apparatus is the fluid displacement used to raise the mixed water'and chemical. to the distributing reservoir, and lncidently the means for uniform mixing of the chemical in the water during this process. The same result may be attained without the automatic features, and in Va-. rious ways; in some instances I prefer to use the apparatus illustrated in the second sheet of drawings.

The three tanks shown in Fig. 2 are of essentially the construction shown by the cross section of Fig. 3, in which the tank 38 is provided with a top having a 'rated opening 41 closed by hinged door 42, or introduction-of thechemical in asolid form if desired. The tank is provided'with' padin order to stir up and mix the chemical The with the water introduced therein. water flowing from a weir box as before described through the pipe 44 proportional vto the flow in the main pipe 8, empties into any one of thethree mixing tanks, the inlet pipe as shown in Fig. 3 having abranch into the bottom of the tank. WVhile the tank 38 for example is being charged with a requisite quantity of soda or other chem-' ical necessary for a desircd'period of operation, the tanks 39 and 40 will be in service, 40 being filled with a soda solution while 39 is practically empty.

All the tanks are provided with air pressure by means of a pump 45 andair pipe 46 having branches in each tank, so that the pressure is'made in all equal to the head of water in the outlet pipe 47 as will be understood. By means of a supplementary air pipe 48 and proper valves 49, 50, the air in the two tanks 39 and40 is in communication. Supposing the valves 51 and 52 to be closed and valve 53 ,open, as the water flows into tank 39 the air will be driven over through pipe 48 into the tank 40, forcing the solution out of the same through the provided on the sides of the tank to show the pressure. The operation is in general simllar to that before described in the apparatus of the Fig. 1; but it will beunderstood while two of the tanks are in use. the first :tank 38 has been charged with chemicaland the pressure is separately raised to the proper figure by means of the pipe 46, the

gages of the three tanks being made to read alike. In,the inlet pipes are preferablyprovided check valves as shown at 54 in Flg. 5 to prevent any back flow.

The operation of'this apparatus will be clearly understood from the above description. 4 It will beevident that the tanks as illustrated in Fig. 1 may be used in my extended series in place'of the tanks illustrated in Fig. 3, so that the top compartment of each tank being filldlwith wateLthe door of the chemical compartment maybe opened the next tank in series whenever any one of the tanks is filled. Thus if it is desired to put in the chemical by hand one tank of the series can be filling while another is emptying, and a third being out meantime be charged with the chemical. In such case the air pump illustrated in Fig. 2 will not be necessary, as the air pressure is always preserved by shiftingfrom one tank to another in series and whenever the compartment is opened to introduce the chemical said compartment is already filled with water which being incompressible doesnot resultin loss of pressure. While I have described the devices as applied to water purifying systems, they are of course equally applicable to any apparatus where it is desired to feedin a proportional amount of chemical and raise it to any height by means of the water pressure from the still higher supply. The

various advantages of the devices will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its. use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent; is the following:

1. "In a feeding device the combination of a plurality of closed tanks and means to introduce into each of them in turn a supply of water under head, means to'mix achemical in the water, andmeans to conduct the displaced air in such tank to the next tank in turn, tothereby drive out water in the latter and elevate it, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a series of tanks having means to mix a chemical therein and empty the tankwithout loss of air pressure therein, proper connections and valves to introduce the air displaced in one tank of the series and to allow the consequent escape of water contained therein -under pressure.

3. A series of closed tanks having means to mix chemicals therein and fill each tank with water, automatic means to shift the incoming stream of water to another tank when the first is full,-means to preserve air pressure in each tank while filling and emptying, and means to conduct the air from each tankas it fills to the next in series, to displace the water therein under head. Q

4. The combination with an elevated water supply and a receiving reservoir, of a plurality of tanks placed below the reservoir, said tanks being air connected and some of them filled with air, proper pipes of action can -for afterward forcing and valves to admit water into each tank and drive the air into another, and thereby displace fluid contained therein and raise it to said reservoi, substantially as de scribed.

a 5. In a water combination of a connected chemical supply under head, and proper valves and connections adapted to fill one of the tanks with water and thereby drive the air into another tank, of the series to thereby displace and elevate the water therein.

6. In a feeding device a pair of displacement tanks having each a chemical compart plurality ofclosed airment and an air chamber, means to intro-,

duce the chemical into its compartment without relieving pressure in the air chamber, and-an elevated supply and means to cause a flow of water throughthe chemical compartment into the air chamber of one tank and convey the air to discharge the water in the other tank by conscquei'it displacement by the air.

feeding device comprising a plurality of closed tanks, each having a compartment for introducing a chemical and a chamber partly filledwith air, a water supply, pipes and proper valves to cause a flow of water throughthe chemical compartment into the air chamber of onetank, anair pipe to conduct the displaced air to another tank and cause displacement of the water therein and a feed water, said pipes and valves being adapted to connect alternately with the several tanks. 8. The combination with a successively operating series of closed -tanks, of a water supply under head and means to fill and then expel the water from each one of the tanks after filling, by air pressure impelled by water introduced into the next preceding tank and automatic means for shifting the. "flow of Water into the several tanks in turn,

for this purpose, substantially as described.

9'. The combination with a tank having a chemical compartment chamber, of a water supply and proper connections and valves for introducing Water under head into the chemical compartment and discharging the water and chemical therefrom into 'the air chamber, and means air into this latter chamber to expel the water therein, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a water supply and a receiving tank, of a pair offeed tanks below the level of the supply and receiving tank, said feeding tanks being closed and having closed chemical compartments and air chambers, the latter with air connectipns with each other, means for introduc ng water into one of said tanks whereby to expel the air and thereby expel the water in the other tank, and suitable valves and autopurifying apparatus the feeding tanks, a water pipe to carry ofi said lOO and a closed air matic means for operating them to fill and empty the tanks-as and for the purpose set forth.

11. The combination with a Water supply, of two closed double compartment tanks, a valve to alternately switch said water supply into said tanks, a supplementary pipe connecting air spaces in the two tanks,

' water level in the other, an outlet valve for whereby the rising of water level in one'of them will by air pressure force down the xtroducing a chemical and water into each of the tanks in alternation, whereby the air displacement empties another tank into the elevated reservoir under pressure, substantially as described. 1

13. In feeding apparatus a closed tank having a chemical compartment and a compressed air chamber, a water supply and fill the same with water, a con means to cause a flow of Water through the chemical compartmentinto the air chamber andmeans to introduce the chemical into its compartment without relieving pressure in the air chamber, substantially as described.

14. The combination of a chemical supply, a series of mixing chambers, an elevated water supply, means to continuously introduce the chemical and water under head into said mixing chambers in alternation, and

means to expel tlie treated water by air dis placement and elevate it for use, substan- 'tially as described. v

15. In Water purifying apparatus a feeding device for chemical reagents comprising a closed. vessel with a compartment for the chemical, a, compartment for the mixed water and chemical connected thereto, a connection to let water nto the chemical compartment and automatic means. to start the inflow when the vessel is empty;

In testimony whereof I- havehereuhtosigned myname in the presence of two subscribed witnesses.

DUNCAN W. PATTERSON. In presence. of-

FRANCIS P. MALoNE, E. F. REMENTER. 

